Movement-initiating device



June18, 1929. H. F. WATERS 1.717.638

MOVEMENT INITIATING DEVICE 1 Filed June 4, 1928 Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES HARRY I. WATERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

ASSIGNOR 'lO MAGNETIC ORGAN ACTION COMPANY, 0]? UNIVERSITY CITY, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

MOVEMENT-INITIATING DEVICE.

Application filed June 4, 1928.

This invention relates generally to movement-initiating devices, and particularly to a device of this type which is intended, primarily, for use in actuating movable elements of pipe organs, the predominant object of the invention being to produce a device of the type mentioned which includes as parts thereof an electro-magnet and a permanent magnet in such association that both thereof serve to simultaneously move a movable stem forming a part of the device in the same direction.

In the actuation of certain movable elements of pipe organs, it is highly desirable that the maximum strength of attraction of which the devices which are employed to actuate said movable elements are capabie, be exerted upon said movable elements at the beginning of the movement thereof. It is also desirable in the actuation of said movable elements that the movement throughout the stroke thereof be approximately uniform with respect to speed.

\Vith the foregoing in mind, I have devised the improved movement-initiating device disclosed herein, which is so con structed and arranged that the maximum strength of which the device is capable is exerted upon the associated movable pipe organ element at the beginning of the movement of said element, and my improved device is also so constructed and arranged that the speed of movement imparted to the associated movable pipe organ element is approximately uniform throughout the stroke thereof.

Figure l is a fragmentary section showing the improved movement-initiating device in association with certain parts of a pipe organ;

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1

Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of the invention.

In the drawing, which illustrates two embodiments merely of my invention, A designates the air-chest of a pipe organ which is provided with a top wall B having an aperture C formed therethrough, which aperture is shaped to receive a seat D for an organ pipe E. The organ pipe E is provided at its toe portion with an orifice F which communicates with a passageway G at the lower end of the seat D, and said passageway G communicates with the interior of the airchest A. In the particular construction il- Serial No. 282,544.

lustrated in the drawing, the wall surroundmg the passageway G projects a slight distance below the lower face of the top wall of the air-chest to provide a valve seat G.

1 designates a bracket which is provided at its upper end with a laterally extended portion 2, said laterally extended portion 2 being arranged in contactwith the lower face of the top wall B of the air-chest, and screws or other suitable fastening devices 3 are passed through apertures in said portion 2 and into said top wall B to secure the bracket 1 to the top wall. At its lower end. the bracket 1 is provided with a laterally extended portion 4 and at the point intermediate the upper and lower ends of the bracket, said bracket is provided with a lateral extension 5 which may be in the form of a separate element secured to the bracket or, if desired, may be formed integral with said bracket.

Supported by the laterally extended portion 4 of the bracket 1 is an electro-magnet M, said elect ro-magnet comprising the usual core 6 on which an electrical conductor is wound to produce a coil 7 and the ordinary end members 8 between which the coil is interposed. As shown clearly in Fig. 1, the lower end portion of the core 6 of the electro-magnet is extended through an aperture in the laterally extended portion st of the bracket 1, while the upper portion of said core extends some distance above the upper end of the electromagnet, and said upper portion of said core is preferably slightly tapered.

Formed longitiulinally through the core (3 of the electro-magnet from end to end thereof is an opening 9 and extended through said opening is a stem 10, said stem being extended through an aperture formed through the extension 5 and having a valve V fixed to it at its upper end. The valve V preferably comprises a disk 11 of felt or other suitable material interposed between a facing 12 and a washer 13, formed prefer ably of leather. l-l designates a coil spring which is interposed between the washer 1 5 and the extension 5, said coil spring being adapted to force the valve V upwardly against the valy e seat G to close the passageway G and in this manner prevent passage of air from the interior of the air-chest A to the organ pipe E.

Rigidly fixed to the stem 10 at a point lilo immediately below the extension 5 is an armature 15, said armature bein provided with a recess 16 which corresponds in shape with the extreme upper portion of the core 6, and the dimensions of said recess 16 are such that on downward movement of the armature, said extreme upper portion of the core will be located Within said recess. When the electro-magnet is in a de-energized condition, the armature is in the position in which same is shown in Figs. 1 and 2; that is to say, the lower face of said armature will be located a very slight distance above the top face of the core 6, and in view of this fact, there will be no substantial air gap through which the armature must be attracted by the electro-magnet, as is the case with magnets having armatures constructed as heretofore.

Located at the lower face of the extension 5 is a washer 17 formed of felt or other soft material, said washer being intended to act as a bufier preventing the armature 15 from striking the extension 5, and because of the soft material of which said washer is formed, no noise will result when said armature reaches the upper limit of its stroke, as would be the case if said armature were to contact forcibly with the extension 5. I also employ a washer 18 of felt or other soft material which is arranged in contact with the top face of the electro-magnet M, the armature 15 being adapted to contact with said washer18 noiselessly when said armature reaches the lower limit of its stroke.

Rigidly fixed to the stem at the lower end thereof is a permanent magnet 19, said permanent magnet being located in close proximity to the lower end of the core 6 of the electro-magnet M when said electro-magnet is in a tie-energized condition, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The polarities of the electromagnet 'M and the permanent magnet 19 are reversed, and, therefore, on energization of said electro-magnet M, the permanent magnet 19 will be forced in a direction away from the lower end of the'core 6 of the electro-magnet, in keeping with the well-known law of magnetics, that like poles repel while' unlike poles attract.

In the operation of my improved device, the electro-magnet M will be energized when the electrical circuit leading thereto is completed, for instance, in the case of the valve action illustrated in the drawing, by depressing the organ key associated with said electro-magnet. Immediately upon energization of the electro-magnet M, the armature 15 will be rawn downwardly by the attraction of the core 6, and because the lower face of said armature is in close proximity to the upper face of the core, said armature need not be attracted through a substantial air gap, as would be the case if armatures of the type formerly employed were used. Si-

multaneously with the attraction of the armature, the permanent magnet will be moved forcibly in a direction away from the lower end of the core 6, due to the fact that the polarities of the electro-magnet and the permanent magnet are reversed.

Because the armature 15 is at its greatest distance from the core at the moment the electro-magnet M is energized, the minimum strength of attraction of the core for said armature is attained at this time; hence, the speed of movement of the stem 10 resulting from the attraction of the armature by the core will be at its minimum, and as said armature moves closer to the core of the electro-magnet, the strength of attraction and the resultant speed of movement of the armature and stem will gradually increase. However, at the moment the attraction between the core and the armature is the weakest, the permanent magnet is receiving its maximum thrust, for at this time said permanent magnet is closer to toe lower end of the core 6 than at any other time. It is, therefore, apparent that an approximately uniform strength of attraction is applied to the stem 10 throughout the stroke thereof, for the reason that the thrust received by the permanent magnet is strongest at the time when the attraction of the core for the armature is the weakest, and as the strength of the thrust received by the permanent magnetdecreases, because said permanent magnet is moved away from the core, the attraction exerted upon the armature by the core increases because said armature is moving closer to said core.

in view'of the foregoing, it is plain that a very strong pull is exerted upon the stem 10 immediately upon energization of the electro-magnet, and this strong pull continues to the lower limit of the stroke of said stem, whereby when the device is used to actuate a pipe organ valve, as illustrated in the drawing, said valve will be drawn forcibly from its seat, thus breaking the seal, and moved quickly to the lower limit of its stroke to permit free passage of air into the associ ated organ pipe. r

n the form of the invention'shown in Fig. 3, the armature illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is omitted, the device shown in said view including an electro-magnet M having a core 6. 10 designates a stem provided at its upper end with a valve V, said stem being extended through an opening formed longitudinally through the core 6". At its lower end, the stem 10 has a permanent magnet 19 fixed thereto. The device shown in Fig. 3 is of the pusher type, the polarities of the electro-magnet M and the permanent magnet 19 being reversed, and said permanent magnet 19 being forcedaway from the lower end of the core'G when the electro-m-agnet is energized to actuate the valve V. The electro-magnet M ported by a bracket 1' and 14 designates a coil spring which tends to force the valve V into firm contact with the valve seat G I claim:

1. In a device for actuating a movable element of a pipe organ, an electro-magnet comprising a core, an electrical conductor wound about said core in the form of a coil, a movable member, and a permanent magnet fixed to said movable member and located in close proximity to an end of said core, the polarities of said electro-magnet and said in Fig. 3 is supi, permanent magnet being reversed, whereby on energization of said electro-magnet said permanent magnet will be moved away from said electro-magnet.

2. In a device for actuating a movable element of a pipe organ, an electm-magnet comprising a core, an electrical conductor wound about said core in the form of a coil, a movable member extended through an opening formed longitudinally through said core in a manner to be capable of longitudinal movement therein, and a permanent magnet fixed to said movable member and loated in close proximity to an end of said core, the polarities of said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet being reversed, whereby on energization of said electro-magnet said permanent magnet will be moved away from said electro-magnet.

3. In a device for actuating a movable element of a pipe organ, an electro-magnet comprising a core, an electrical conductor wound about said core in the form of a coil, a movable member, an armature fixed to said movable member in close proximity to the portion of the core at one end of the electromagnet, and a permanent magnet fixed to said movable member and located in close proximity to the portion of the core at the end of the electro-magnet opposite to that adjacent to which said armature is located, the polarities of said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet being reversed, whereby on energization of said electro-magnet said permanent magnet will be moved away from said electro-magnet.

4.. In a device for actuating a movable element of a pipe organ, an electro-magnet comprising a. core, an electrical conductor wound about said core in the form of a coil, a movable member extended through an opening formed longitudinally through said core in a manner to be capable of longitudinal movement therein, an armature fixed to said movable member in close proximity to the portion of the core at one end of the electromagnet, and a permanent magnet fixed to said movable member and located in close proximity to the port-ion of the core at the end of the electro-magnet opposite to that adjacent to which said armature is located, the polarities of said elcctro-magnet and said permanent magnet being reversed, whereby on energization of said electromagnet said permanent magnet will be moved away from said electro-magnet.

5. In a device for actuating a movable element of a pipe organ, an elcctro-magnet comprising a core, an electrical conductor wound about said core in the form of a coil, a movable member, an armature fixed to said movable member in close proximity to the portion of the core at one end of the electromagnet, said armature being capable of telescoping movement with respect to the adjacent portion of the core, and a permanent magnet fixed to said movable member and located in close proximity to the portion of the core at the end of the electro-magnet opposite to that adjacent to which said armature is located, the polarities of said electromagnet and said permanent magnet being reversed, whereby on energization of said electro-magnct said permanent magnet will be moved away from said electro-magnet.

6. In a device for actuating a movable element of a pipe organ, an electro-magnet comprising a core, an electrical conductor wound about said core in the form of a coil, a stem formed of non-magnetic material ex tended through an opening formed longitudinally through said core in a manner to be capable of longitudinal movement therein, an armature fixed to said stem in close proximity to the portion of the core at one end of the electro-magnet, said armature being provided with a recess alined with the adjacent portion of the core, and the wall of said recess being movable longitudinally of said adjacent portion of the core when said armature is drawn toward said clectromagnet in a manner to cause said recessed armature to surround the adjacent portion of said core, and a permanent magnet fixed to said stem and located in closeproximity to the portion of the core at the end of the electro-magnet opposite to that adjacent to which said armature is located, the polarities of said electro-magnet and said permanent magnet being reversed, whereby on energization of said electro-magnet said per manent magnet will be moved away from said electro-magnet.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY F. WATERS. 

